WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – The city of Winter Springs will once again start self-serve sandbag operations in anticipation of more rainfall.
A sandbag site at Central Winds Park will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting Friday, Oct. 4, through Sunday, the city said in a news release.
The sandbag site is open to all Seminole County residents while supplies last, the release states.
Residents, limited to 15 bags per household, are advised to bring their own shovels and gloves, as well as any help they need in order to get the bags filled and loaded on their own. The release notes a filled sandbag can weigh around 35 pounds.
It’s not known how much rain is expected to fall in the area as computer models differ on how much moisture may stream into Central Florida from the Gulf in the coming days or week.
Drivers should enter Central Winds Park via SR 434 and Central Winds Drive. Once inside the park continue on to the roundabout to the left and then straight to the parking area at the rear of the park.
City of Winter Springs to open self-serve sandbag operations October 4, 2024 (excerpt)
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Our News 6 Team met Terry and John Leeson when they were filling up sandbags and loading them into their car.
“We live on a lake, and we are very scared because with Ian the water came to our house and we’re still trying to rebuild,” said Terry Leeson.
Terry Leeson says she doesn’t want her house to flood again.
“We woke up about 4 o’clock and the whole water was there with waves,” Leeson recalled. “Hopefully it’s not going to be that serious.”
Her husband, John Leeson, says he hopes there’s not enough rain in the forecast to cause serious flooding, but he’s learned it’s best to be prepared either way.
“It all depends on which way the wind is blowing. Ian was a perfect storm. The wind came out of the north hard. We got surge and we got water,” said Leeson. “We’ve never had that happen in all the other storms way back through Charlie and everything else.”
The Leesons were grateful that Bill Jones, who was also at the sandbag site, was kind enough to help them fill their sandbags and load them up.
Jones says his porch has flooded before.
“I just put sandbags around the porch, and I didn’t have enough last time so this time I’m going to make up for it,” said Jones. “I’m not expecting too much but I never do, so hopefully it’s alright.”
News 6 was last in Winter Springs to talk with residents living near Gee Creek who have been worried this hurricane season about flooding.
The Central Winds Park sandbag site opened in late September ahead of Hurricane Helene. Water levels in the creek had settled at that time, but neighbors such as Sal Scaglione — who lives on Holiday Lane along Gee Creek — told us he still had his concerns after Hurricane Ian.
“That’s our biggest fear is the flooding. Winds and other stuff is not that high on our list – it’s the creek right behind us,” he said. “We’re allowed 15 sandbags. It’s not going to do much if we have the flooding that we had with Ian, but at least we’ll be able to protect something.”
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